Through The Shadow's Of Boredom The Past Can Emerge
by mandaree1
Summary: During their late teens, the Cutie Mark Crusaders fled from Ponyville in the middle of the night to escape their problems. Now adults, the trio rebuilt their lives in a deadbeat town, juggling work, their social lives (or lack thereof) and raising a young filly. The past, however, has a way of creeping back in ways someone least expects it to.
1. A Typical Work Day

**Disclaimer: I don't own My Little Pony; Friendship Is Magic.**

**Summary: During their late teens, the Cutie Mark Crusaders fled from Ponyville in the middle of the night to escape their problems. Now adults, the trio rebuilt their lives in a deadbeat town, juggling work, their social lives (or lack thereof) and a young filly. The past, however, has a way of creeping back in ways someone least expects it to.**

**Warnings: Slice of life, small bits of pony cursing later on, etc.**

**Title: Through The Shadow's Of Boredom The Past Can Emerge**

**...**

The sun was high of Equestria, the bright rays warming everything in sight. Shielding her eyes against the blinding rays, Scootaloo groaned. Pulling the blanket over her head, she fluffed her pillow and rolled over, her back to the door.

The door burst open as Dawn Flyer (aptly named for her habit of waking up _too_ early) - a young, not quite of school age, black-coated Pegasus with a brightly colored mane- ran inside. "Aunt Scoots! It's time to wake up!" Flapping her small wings, she hovered near the older Pegasus's ear.

Scootaloo waved her away with a gentle hoof. "It's too early for this, Sparkles." She yawned. "Go back to bed."

Dawn pouted, heavily flopped onto her hindquarters (currently located on-top of Scootaloo's hip) "But Aunt Scootaloo, it's almost noon!" She whined. Scootaloo grunted.

"Like I said; to early."

Rolling her eyes, the filly easily back flipped off the bed and onto the floor. Grabbing the edge of her blanket, she yanked it off of her, dropping it near the door before speeding down the hallway and down the stairs.

Giving up on the idea of sleep, Scootaloo slowly sat up, watching the young Pegasus shoot down the stairs with a chuckle. "Not even half my age, and the kid can fly better than I ever could."

Trotting down the stairs, she paused in the kitchen doorway. Sweetie Belle read over her music, hardly noticing her awakening, and Applebloom waved.

"Coffee." She grunted, sliding into the seat next to the Applebloom. The earth pony chuckled and handed her a full mug. Breathing in the rich scent, she took a long drink before falling back in her chair with a sigh. "You're a lifesaver."

"Don't mention it. So, you gonna open shop today?"

"Yeah, I got a few orders I need to fill." She sighed. Finishing her coffee, Scootaloot trotted back up the stairs towards her room to get ready for the day.

"Looks like Ah'll be own my own today." Applebloom grunted sourly, refilling her mug.

Taking a sip from her own coffee mug, Sweetie Belle glanced up from her sheets. "You could always come with us to the club."

The earth pony disgustedly waved a hoof. "Ah don't like it; to loud fer my tastes. You know that."

"Then go look for something to fix." The unicorn shrugged. "There's gotta be something."

"Long night?" Applebloom questioned, taking notice of the heavy bags under her eyes. Sweetie Belle nodded, shoving a random sheet of music across the table. Applebloom picked it up and scanned the page.

"Inspiration struck and wouldn't let me sleep. What do you think?"

"It looks like it'll sound nice." She answered, setting the sheet of paper down on the table. "Are you going to sing it?"

"Yup. I'm singing a set at noon. I figured I'd slip it in somewhere and see what the public thinks." She shrugged. The nervous squeak in her voice traveled across the room.

"See what they think about what?" Scootaloo peered into the kitchen. Her mane was brushed into it's original style, her teeth brushed and her face cleaned. A full body suit, the kind a carriage-fixing pony wore, adorned her form, zipped up to chest level and leaving a tad unzipped for the sake of comfort. Seeing the sheet of paper on the table, she interestedly picked it up and looked it over. "Oh. Looks good, Sweetie, can't wait to hear it."

"Thanks." She smiled, her confidence swelling.

"_Anyway_..." She stretched her wings, showing off a scar along the side of the right one. It was thin, almost unnoticeable, but it's existence didn't go unnoticed. "I gotta get going. Stop by later, I've got a surprise for Dawn."

"Her first scooter?" Applebloom raised an eyebrow. She colored a bit and hushed her.

"Don't let her hear you! It's supposed to be a surprise! She's been asking for one for awhile now, and I'm pretty sure she's old enough now."

"I don't know..." Sweetie Belle muttered uneasily. Scootaloo rolled her eyes.

"Sweetie, _relax_. I got _my_ scooter when I was her age."

"Yeah, and you had the habit of using it to run around the Everfree Forest." She prodded, smiling.

"I get lost _one_ time, and you just can't let it go, can you?" She ruffled her feathers in slight irritation before smoothing them out. "Besides, the Everfree forest's a couple days away from here. Dawn won't be riding in it anytime soon."

"Or at all." Sweetie Belle sighed. "Alright then, I'll swing by with her later. But if she gets hurt, then she loses her scooter privileges."

"Cool." Scootaloo lopsidedly smiled before finally trotting towards the door. "See you guys later."

"See you!"

"Have a good day at work!"

A snort came from the living room before the door clicked shut behind her. The two mares turned back to breakfast.

"Have you seen Dawn lately?" Sweetie Bell asked, glancing about the room. The coffee mugs had been put in the sink and breakfast had been eaten. Applebloom glanced around before shrugging.

"Nope, not lately. Maybe she's playing hide-n-seek?"

"Maybe..."

"Ah'll go check the backyard." She grunted, sliding out of the seat and heading out the back door.

"You do that. I'll come help in a minute." Sliding out her own chair, she headed up the stairs.

* * *

The metal shoes and helmet were extremely large on her, and moving was a hassle, but it was more than worth it.

She ducked into a nearby closest as Sweetie Belle trotted up the stairs. Quiet as a mouse, she listened to the sound of hoofbeats and the opening and shutting of the bathroom door before shifting around and standing up.

Leaving the closest door swinging open behind her, she clumsily trotted into the hallway. Finding her balance, she puffed out her chest and trotted proudly in the direction her hooves took her.

She imagined the sound of hooves marching. Hordes of guards trotting proudly beside her. She, however, stuck out, being the youngest- and fastest- flier in the guard. Adult ponies gawked in wonder as she shot past with graceful wing beats, wearing the armor especially fitted for her...

Her hoof connected with the top step. The boot fell to the side, tripping her out of her daydream and into reality as she reflexively shot her hooves up to protect her face and eyes from receiving any dangerous injuries. Waiting for the imminent crash to come, she soon realized she wasn't going anywhere. Cracking open an eyelid, she quickly recognized the familiar glow of Sweetie Belle's magic.

"What do you think you're doing!?" She winced. Sweetie Belle floated her away from the stairs and onto the floor, levitating the helmet and shoes off her head and legs. "You could have been seriously hurt?"

"Sorry, mom." She mumbled, staring at the floor. The unicorn sighed.

"I don't want 'sorries', Dawn, I want you to be more careful. And don't mess with your Aunt Scootaloo's armor without her permission." Lifting the armor off the floor, the shoes fell side by side each other in the bottom of the closest and the helmet was placed back on it's special hook in the left side of the doorway. The door slammed closed.

"Sorry..." She repeated, flapping her tiny wings a bit before folding them against her sides. "I just wanted to look cool."

"You won't look 'cool' if you're in a hospital bed." She reminded her with a frown. "Besides, that armor doesn't look 'cool.' If anything, it looks like it'd be a pain to wear."

Dawn sighed, ears falling flat against her head. She just didn't get it. The pride, the honor she felt when she wore it. It was unlike anything she'd felt before.

"I found her!" Sweetie Belle shouted out the window before shutting it and returning to her disappointed foal. Sitting down beside her, she put a hoof on her shoulder. "Hey."

"Hey." She replied. Sweetie Belle sighed.

"Sorry if I was a little harsh. I just worry a lot, you know?"

"I know."

"I'm going to sing later, do you want to come with?" Dawn Flyer perked up immediately.

"Yes!" She gave her mother a quick hug before flying down the stairs.

Sweetie Belle shook her head with a fond roll of the eyes, muttering under her breath as she made her way down the stairs. "No in-betweens with that kid..."

Applebloom met her at the bottom of the stairs. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, I found her trying on Scoot's old armor. I'll have to ask her about moving it somewhere else."

"Hmm..." Applebloom scratched the side of her head. "Ah could build her a chest or somethin' to put it in, if ya want."

"Sounds great." She yawned, taking a brief moment to try and flatten her mane. "Come'on, Dawn's gotta eat."

After feeding the youngest member of the family, the duo split up. Sweetie Belle led Dawn towards her temporary place of business, and Applebloom trotted off towards the nearby hardware store, leaving the house barren and empty of its usual charm.

* * *

The club was, despite it's name to the contrary, a children's establishment. It was an old bar reinvented, with childrens games, story time, and an all day (and sometimes call night) day care service, and children's drinks like applejuice served from the well-scrubbed, used taps.

Many adults flocked to the club as well, for live entertainment, a break from work, or to_ look_ for work. Sweetie Belle was amongst the last percentage, and sang there often as volunteer work or for a pay check, hoping against all hope that somehow, someday, a talentpony might notice her work and make her into a star.

Dawn, due to her darker coloring, blended in with the crowd and dark lighting as she made her way up the stage, making her glance around to find her. In the front row, she enthusiastically waved a hoof. Her worries placated, she smiled down at her before trotting confidently towards the center of the stage.

Grabbing the microphone with her magic, she floated it away from the stand and hovered it near her mouth. Taking a deep breath, she gave her daughter one more smile.

And then she began to sing.

* * *

'Scootaloo's Scooter Shop' didn't have a sign, due to the hurry they had been in whilst building the shabby building, and therefore it didn't have a name amongst the citizens of the small town. It was merely the shop that made scooters and repaired carriages, and she merely the scooter-pony.

Scooter's weren't all that popular in the deadbeat town, so she didn't bother to sell them to the public. Instead, she built them and shipped them off to small toy stores across Equestria. Apparently, while they weren't name-brand, they were highly desired in cities like Canterlot and Manehatten.

Her shop was usually deserted. Other than the delivery-mare and the odd customer hoping to have their carriage fixed, it almost always was. Her profits, while large, heavily depended on shipping, _then_ selling.

Wiping off the handle-bars to give the scooter a better shine, she stepped back to look over her work. The scooter was perfectly made and crafted, with the tiniest hint of sparkles in the cleanly painted wood. That would excite the young filly, she decided. She called her 'Sparkles' for that very reason.

The sinking sun stretched the shadows across the empty garage as she cleaned the floors with a mop in muzzle. Having the ability to make your own hours had it's perks, like opening and closing whenever one felt like it. No on cared if she opened at noon and closed at dinner. She didn't have any customers, so she didn't have any complaints.

"Aunt Scootaloo!" Dawn burst through the door and out of the shadows, successfully pouncing onto her back. The force of the blow easily bowled her over.

"Hey, kid." She wheezed, staring at the Pegasus perched on her chest. "How ya doin'?"

"Dawn Flyer! You get off your Aunt Scootaloo right now!" The unicorn smiled playfully as she helped the older Pegasus up. "She's fragile."

"Ha. Ha." She grunted, shaking and stretched herself out. "You ready to try out your first scooter?"

Dawn bounced up and down, wings flaring in excitement. "Yes!"

"Alright then." She set the scooter down from the counter. "Made it especially for you."

"Cool!" She looked over the toy, turning the handle bars. She grinned wide. "It's sparkly!"

"Yup." Glancing at the snow-white mare next to her, she frowned. "You're rubbing off on her too much, Belle."

"Oh, stop. What little kid doesn't like sparkles?"

"I didn't." She stated proudly, puffing out her chest and thrusting a hoof against it in good measure. Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes.

"That's because you're part stallion, I swear." She grunted, shaking her head.

"Shut u- Uh, I mean, be quiet." She turned to Dawn, whom watched the argument between the two mares like a cat watched a Ping-Pong match. "Give it a try, kid."

The Pegasus didn't need to be told twice. She flew around the room, quickly and easily dodging her table and tools as she wheeled about. "She's a natural!" Scootaloo cheered.

The sun was just disappearing over the horizon when the store was finally closed and the door locked. The hours had passed by in minutes, watching the Pegasus play and playing with her, and they were both tired and excited. Sweetie Belle had been a hit at the club; Dawn cheerfully hummed under her breath as she wheeled the scooter home, and, for the first time in awhile, Scootaloo got to personally enjoy her craft.

Applebloom, it seemed, had been enjoying her craft as well. Wood was strewn about the living room and kitchen, small, half-finished carvings lying about the floor, and tools as far as the eye could see. At the foot of the stairs lay a well-made chest, ready for use.

She waved as they entered, covered in both sawdust and wood chippings. "Hey! How'd you like yer present?"

"I loved it!" She cheered, flying above the wreckage below. Applebloom tended to get caught up in her personal projects, so it was no surprise to find the floor covered in wood or tools, or to trip over a mostly finished project. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle both were masters of dodging splinters and hammers with their hooves, and used their talents to their advantage as they cooked the youngest mare dinner, which she ate quickly.

The days events eventually caught up with her as Dawn yanwed and flopped down on the table, curling up into a half-ball. Chuckling, Applebloom picked her up and set her on her back. "Ah think it's time for_ someponies_ to go to bed. Ah'll put her to bed; would one of you mind making dinner?"

"I'll do it." Sweetie Belle offered immediately, raising a hoof. "Since we both know Scootaloo can't cook."

"Hey!" She was quickly shushed. She flushed. "Sorry. But I can so cook!"

"Instant stuff doesn't count." Applebloom giggled. She nudged the pegsus into a half-awake state with a gentle hoof. "Say goodnight, Dawn."

She yawned and wearily waved a hoof. "Night, mom, night Aunt Scoots."

"Night, Dawn." They waved as she carried up the stairs. One she was out of sight, Sweetie Belle went to cook dinner whilst Scootaloo relaxed at the table.

After giving her a quick, warm, bath, Applebloom carried her into her room. Dawn's room was brightly colored- much like the rest of the house- with a large, plush bed and cabinets. The window near the bed perfectly captured the setting sun. Near the doorway a lit candle flickered in the breeze, helping to light the dim room and guided the older mare to the bed as she set the young pegasi down and tucked her in. Dawn pulled her front hooves free from the blanket and set them on-top of the blanket.

"Aunt Applebloom?"

Applebloom blinked, settling down beside the bed, her front hooves resting on the sheets. "Yeah?"

"Why don't you have a job like Mom or Aunt Scoots?"

"You make it sound like I don't go anything around her." Applebloom giggled. Dawn didn't waver. She sighed. "Well... the job Ah was born for isn't around here."

"It isn't?" She raised an eyebrow. Applebloom shook her head.

"Nope. I'm a farm pony at heart, and the farm ah want to work at is a long ways away from here." She smiled sadly before leaning to down kiss the young Pegasus on the head. "Go to sleep. Your Mom and Aunt Scoots'll be up here to say goodnight to you soon enough."

Trotting out the door, she paused to blow out the candle before shutting the door behind her.

Dinner passed by quickly, and before long they all headed off to bed, giving the filly a quick goodnight before curling up in their rooms for the night. Tomorrow was Saturday, a day of rest and odd jobs.

**No flames! Don't like don't read! Review!**


	2. The Reason

**Disclaimer: I don't own My Little Pony; Friendship Is Magic.**

**Summary: During their late teens, the Cutie Mark Crusaders fled from Ponyville in the middle of the night to escape their problems. Now adults, the trio rebuilt their lives in a deadbeat town, juggling work, their social lives (or lack thereof) and a young filly. The past, however, has a way of creeping back in ways someone least expects it to.**

**Warnings: Mentions of sexuality, teen pregnancy, etc. If these things bother you, don't ready any further! (please!)**

**Title: Through The Shadow's Of Boredom The Past Can Emerge**

**Chapter Title: The Reason**

**Setting: Their teen years, before Dawn was born and before they settled in the small town.**

**...**

Sweetie Belle had been the catalyst.

As young teens, the trio were expected to become interested in dating. It was a coming of age, a right of passage, one that every young mare and colt went through. Having no interest in any form of copulation after their failed attempts at matchmaking from their filly years, they ignored the urge with a vigor rarely experienced by most teenager in school. Being the outcasts of the school (yet another consequence of their trouble-making, cutie mark crusading, filly years), no one ever dared flirt or show any interest in them another than contempt. However, they were still teen's, and they held the same amount of hormones as every other teen, so ignoring the urge to experiment wouldn't work forever.

So it was with a heavy heart and a good amount of paranoia that Scootaloo stepped into the dating world. No one asked her, and she didn't as them, but she finally allowed herself the right to look. Out of the corner of her eye she would watch the colts her friends had crushes on, trying to figure out what was so interesting while also trying to be subtle (something she wasn't very good at). After awhile, she stopped watching them all together, disinterest and boredom having long taken hold of her.

It were the mares in her class, however, that finally caught her attention. Not the ones like Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon, but instead the all natural, true to themselves, beautiful young mares around her. Soft yet strong, kind but not callous, all the things she wanted were present in the few mares in her class she didn't detest. A year later, after much consideration, book reading (blech), and a few well hidden counselor visits, she finally came to her final decision about her sexuality. She liked mares, colts did nothing for her.

And that scared her.

She had no clue how to broach the topic with her friends, nor did she know how to come out of the closet. Granny Smith was an old-fashioned pony, and while she wasn't cruel or against same-sex love, she was very uncomfortable around them, so she knew that Applebloom would be as well. Applebloom would accept her no matter what, that much she knew, but she would still feel very uncomfortable around her for the longest time. She didn't want that. Sweetie Belle... she had no clue. Sweetie Belle, while kind and accepting, was still Rarity's sister, and Rarity had a flair for the dramatic. Even if she did accept her, Rarity was sure to make a big deal of everything and spread the word around the town while also embellishing the details. She didn't want that either.

So she drew away from her companions for a while and took the chance to explore her options. She poked around the nearby towns and found a few mares rumored to date other mares. One or two interested her enough to date, and she soon found herself in a steady relationship with a quiet earth pony from two towns over. It was refreshing to have someone to talk to, and she was quick to realize she was in love.

It wasn't until after they started getting into the physical aspects of their relationship that everything went downhill.

A few weeks after her first night, the entire town awoke to find an envelope in their doorways. Pictures of the more... intimate aspects of their relationship were shoved inside, as well as a few letters they'd sent to each other that had been lost with time. Her secret, the only secret she'd ever kept in her life, was forcibly bared for the entire town to see. And everypony was under the impression that _she_ sent the envelopes.

Things were awkward between them, for a time. Applebloom wasn't sure how to broach the topic, and Sweetie Belle was mad at her for attempting to keep it a secret, but they both agreed that they knew that she would never have sent something like that, and tried to find just who_ did_. They came up empty, but it was the thought that counted.

The next few years were hard. Most of the adults in the town avoided her, and her classmates created rumors about her, behind her back or too her face. She pushed through and refused to break under the pressure put on her.

Finding out Sweetie was pregnant was the breaking point. Sweetie was terrified of the town and her sister's reaction, to the point she honestly would rather run away then stay and confront the truth. They immediately began to plan and prepare to leave, packing bags and locking the clubhouse down to make sure no one got in to steal from it. After sending her ex-marefriend a quick goodbye note (they broke up a week after the envelope was sent out) she left Ponyville and didn't look back.

* * *

Sweetie Belle had been the catalyst.

Applebloom, after finding her cutie mark, worked hard to further her way in life with her cutie mark. Most of her days she spent in the clubhouse, building something or other. Scootaloo stayed with her as she learned her way around the inner mechanics of building a scooter (because while Scoots could _fix_ a scooter, it was much harder to actually build one from scratch) and together they worked the nights away as they grew up. She loved what she did, and it showed. Applejack supported her all the way, and gave her a small allowance each month to go into her wood supply.

As she neared the end of high school, she immediately began sending out applications to the best engineering schools in Equestria. She traveled far and wide to get to her application exams in the elite schools, brining along Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle for moral support. Later on, both mares began pulling away, and she began to fear the end of their friendship. Sweetie Belle was hanging out with the popular crowd, and Scootaloo was always busy and troubled.

Then the envelope came, and she was thrown for a loop. The pictures, honestly, disgusted her. Not from the content, or even it being two mare, but because she recognized her friend immediately and she had never even wanted to _think_ about her getting into positions like that. Seeing it was enough to set her gag reflex into motion. The letters were sweet and caring, the kind most ponies _dreamed_ about receiving, and she swooned over them and teased her to the point of blushing over the content later. It took awhile, but eventually they were back to how they used to be, with both of them spending nights together in the clubhouse, talking over their problems.

The engineering collage in Canterlot was one of the most sought after school in all of Equestria. Getting in was amazing, especially if the pony in question was a small-time earth pony from a small-time town like Ponyville. It was the proudest day in her life, holding that letter in her shaking hooves before shoving it into her mouth and running back inside the house at a speed not even matched by Rainbow Dash. Squealing at a decibel she was rather sure bats could understand, she handed the paper to Applejack and explained the offer set before her.

Applejack refused.

The farm was going through a dry spell, she'd explained. It would need all the earth pony love it could get. Besides, Canterlot was a unicorn city, earth ponies like herself would be isolated, and she didn't want that to happen to her. She wasn't old enough to leave home anyway.

She rebelled. She argued, she yelled, she even had Big Mac add up just how much money she could earn if she went to Canterlot and became a master carpenter, but to no avail. Applejack wouldn't be shaken. Her dreams weren't as important as the farm, even if the farm could survive on it's own with just the two of them. Everything she'd ever worked for, the nights she'd squandered building things, all of it, for nothing. Seeing that nothing would sway her, she ran out the door without a second thought and escaped to the clubhouse.

Then Sweetie Belle told them the news. The thought of her best friend being pregnant at her age caused shivers of fear to run down her spine. The unicorn was terrified, and refused to stay if it meant telling the town or, even worse, telling Rarity. Escaping the town would wipe the slate clean for them all, give them a fresh start in life. She helped them plan and pack before the escaped the town.

The farm, she'd heard through the grape-vine, had grown just as bountiful as it usually did. They hadn't needed her helped after all, and she didn't need there's. She refused to look back, even if she wanted to.

* * *

She'd been the catalyst, in the end.

She'd gotten around in high school. A lot. Her looks had helped her become popular in school, and many colts tried to catch her attention, showering her with small gifts and affections. Shed returned the affections, and soon she was popular amongst both the mares and the colts, the colts especially.

In an attempt to go even higher up the ranks, she pushed her friends away. The glaring spotlight of popularity had blinded her to what was really important, and over time her ego demanded she get rid of those 'lesser' to her. So she did. She stopped hanging around the clubhouse, and denied any ties with her past friends. She didn't, however, scrutinize them with her new, more-popular friends. Scoot's sexuality wasn't brought up, nor was Applebloom's background. If it was, it was by others, and she quickly shot them down.

But then... she met_ him_. A strong, dark-coated Pegasus with an ego that outclassed Rainbow Dash's and a strength that nearly matched the cyan mare. He took interest in her immediately, and he tagged along with her any chance he got. He didn't give her gifts or anything like the other colts, but instead romanced her with kind words and physical prowess. He was strong, he was handsome, and he was suave when he wanted to be, and he used it to his advantage.

They soon began to go steady. They met up every day, going on dates to the most exquisite of places. Beautiful gardens filled with colorful flowers, fancy restaurants with expensive and delicious food, places filled with class and beauty. He treated her well, and was careful to never hurt her in anyway.

Until she got pregnant.

Being with-foal reopened her eyes. She immediately went back to hanging with her true friends, to her real companions. Popularity meant nothing to her anymore. Would popularity help her get through pregnancy? No. Would it help her raise her foal? No. Scootaloo and Applebloom, however, would both help her if she truly needed it, no matter what the problem was.

She planned on telling them during a sleepover. Curled up together in the clubhouse, blankets draped over their backs, the familiar feeling of comfort around her, gave her all the courage she needed. That is, until a pounding came at the door.

Rumors had been spread, she found out later, about the gentle curve slowly forming on her stomach. Scootaloo and Applebloom had been deaf to the talk swirling around the school, but he hadn't been. He demanded the truth, his once caring, kind demeanor quickly falling apart to reveal his true self. A cold, heartless colt who would do anything to get out of taking responsibility.

She was cheating, he swore. He couldn't possibly be the father. She was a liar, he accused, he was just doing it for attention. He wanted her to get rid of it, he demanded, he refused to be a father.

No, she put her hoof down, she refused. It was a living creature to her (even if some may disagree), and she wouldn't kill it. He refused to take no for an answer, and reared back to strike-

Only for Scootaloo and Applebloom to come bursting through the door and knock him aside. While lacking the physical prowess of a bulky male, earth ponies were naturally strong, and Scootaloo's limbs were strong from the work she'd done over the years. And, for all that bravado and strength, he still ran like a coward once he realized he was no match for the mares in front of him that were looking for a fight.

The moment the door slammed closed she fell to her knees, the shock quickly catching up with her. The two held her close as she cried. After drying her tears, they quickly made plans. She couldn't bear to stay in Ponyville with her foal on the way, especially now that she was beginning to show. How could she tell Rarity, the epitome of perfection, an embellisher of drama, the sister she looked up to more than anything, that she had once degraded herself so low as to be easy enough to get pregnant at her age? Rarity would go ballistic, not to mention how her parents would take the news, or the town. It was just better for everyone if she left town.

Scootaloo and Applebloom followed her. They both had their reasons, and both were more than ready to get away from Ponyville. So they packed their bags and escaped before anyone noticed anything was off about them.

They built the house themselves. She didn't get to do much of the work due to her pregnancy, but they had a crude place to stay before she gave birth. While she recuperated (because she was sick for a _long time_ after giving birth to Dawn) they cleaned their work up and brought the house to it's present comforting glory before Dawn's first birthday. They then set to building the scooter shop, which took a tad longer due to the fact it wasn't as necessary and they had to take care of Dawn, but they eventually had made their living in the small town. Ponyville became a distant memory, one they tended not to dwell on.

She rolled over and tugged the blankets further up. Squeezing her eyes shut, she shut her brain off as best she could. Ponyville was the past, she reminded herself. Focusing on the past wouldn't do herself any good. They would never go back to Ponyville, ever.

Even if they really wanted too.

**No flames! Don't like don't read! Review!**


	3. A Typical Day Off

**Disclaimer: I don't own My Little Pony; Friendship Is Magic**

**Title: Through The Shadows Of Boredom The Past Can Emerge**

**Summary: During their late teens, the Cutie Mark Crusaders fled from Ponyville in the middle of the night to escape their problems. Now adults, the trio rebuilt their lives in a deadbeat town, juggling work, their social lives (or lack thereof) and raising a young filly. The past, however, has a way of creeping back in ways someone least expects it to.**

**Warnings: A small bit of homophobia.**

**Chapter Title: A Typical Day Off.**

**...**

_The clearing gleamed with the morning sunlight as it rose over the hills, lighting up the dewdrops hanging from the trees and the grass as well as making them glitter with rainbows. A breeze blew, ruffling both fur and feather as the leaves shifted and the dewdrops gracefully fell to the ground._

_"Aunt Scoots... are you sure I'm ready?" Dawn fiddled with her hooves, wings and tail twitching nervously. The older pegasi smiled encouragingly as she stretched her wings, bending at the knee and stretching upwards to make sure she didn't accidentally knock the younger pegasus over._

_"Yeah, I'm sure."_

_"But..." She hesitated, her wings falling further down her back. "What if I don't fly? What if... What if i'm earth-bound, like you? What then?"_

_She sighed, sinking down onto her knees to be on eye level with the young filly. "Then we'll cross that bridge if we get there. You've been training for months now, Sparkles. I'd say you're more than ready."_

_"But..." She glanced back at the small wings on her back, flapping them as she watched them move. "They're so... small."_

_"Are you kidding? They're normal sized. Maybe even a little bigger than normal." Scootaloo stretched her own out, idly glancing back to watch them move. "Heck, mine are waaaay on the small side."_

_"They're bigger than mine!"_

_"That's because I'm full-grown!" She defended before sighing once again, head dropping. "Look, Sparkles, you gotta remember; I'm a heck of a lot older than you. I may not act like it, but I'm** old**. Like, old mare old." The filly giggled. Scootaloo leaned down, whispering as though revealing a little-known secret. "And let me tell ya; your wings are a heck of a lot bigger than mine were at your age."_

_The filly perked up, eyes widening as she whispered in turn. "Really?"_

_She nodded. "The chances of you having bad wings like mine are little to none, especially with how you've quickly you've grown. Besides, even I could float before my wing got hurt. You'll be fine." She stood and stretched once again, crouching down to the side to give her a challenging smirk. "So... you ready to give it a try?"_

_Dawn hopped onto her hooves, stretching her wings out with a smile. "Yeah!"_

_"Good." Scootaloo mimicked the position with a smile as well. "Then get ready."  
_

_Setting off on a fast pace, Scootaloo called out demands. "Flap those wings! Find the wind current!" Together they flapped their wings (Scootaloo mostly for show). __Squeezing her eyes shut, Dawn followed all her training. Running as fast as she could, she stretched and flapped her wings, twisting or turning them depending on the current._

_Feeling a distinct floating sensation, her eyes flew open. Watching her shadow flit across the grass below as well as Scootaloo trotting along beneath her, a smirk on her muzzle, she cheered. "I'm flying! I'm flying! Aunt Scoots, I'm flying!"_

_"I noticed!" Coming to a complete stop, Scootaloo's wings instinctively folded back against her sides as she watched the young filly fly through the trees with a smile. "I told ya you could do it!"_

_"I know!" She zoomed by, turned around using a tree trunk as a turning-tool. She zipped by once again. "And you were right!"_

_"Of course I was!" Scootaloo puffed out her chest. "I'm awesome like that."_

_"Wooooohoooo!" She cheered, twisting her head around and cupping a hoof to the side of her muzzle, she called. "Come on up, Aunt Scootaloo! It's so much fun!"_

_"Can't, remember?" Her eyes slid backwards towards the semi-useless appendages on her back. Dawn covered her mouth as though she had cursed._

_"Opps, sorry!" She attempted to flip around to properly apologize, only for her back to slam into the trunk midway through. Falling, she covered her eyes as she awaited the blow to come._

_Only to flop onto Scootaloo's back. Opening her eyes, she glanced back at the spot the older mare had been then the place she had stopped. She squealed. "Wow! How did you do that!?"_

_She chuckled, turning tail as she began the long trot home. "I think that's enough flying for today."_

"If you pounce on me, I'll give you a tickling like you've never felt before." Scootaloo sleepily warned the approaching filly, one long leg draped over her eyes. Dawn jumped, a sheepish smile crossing her face as she pulled herself out of her crouch in the doorway and trotted over to her bed.

"How'd you know I was gonna pounce?" She pouted at the missed opportunity. Scootaloo chuckled.

"I have my ways..." She mumbled mysteriously, before stretching out on her back, wings carefully unfolded and spread against the warm sheets. "The floorboards creak. Besides, you couldn't be sneaky to save your life."

"Oh."

"So, what's the matter? Didn't feel like sleeping in your own room?"

She shook her head, a more natural smile pulling at the edges of her muzzle. "Aunt Scootaloo... It's almost nine."

"And it's Saturday. You're_ supposed_ to sleep in. It's, like, a rule or something." Dawn chuckled. Rolling onto her side, Scootaloo patted the bed beside her to signal it was okay to climb up. The younger pegasus immediately climbed up, cautiously laying her back on her Aunts stretched wing. Scootaloo pulled her closer, curling the edges of the wing on the fillies shoulder. She yawned. "Go to sleep, Sparkles."

"Aunt Scootaloo?" She groaned and opened her eyes, glancing at the young filly as she fiddled with her hooves, looking anywhere and everywhere other than the older mare. "Why don't you like going to work?"

She blinked in surprise. "What makes you think I don't like my work?"

"Well..." She watched her hooves move as she fiddled with them, tail swishing against the blanket. "You never seem happy to go, and you never look proud when you do something cool..."

She sighed, tracing the ceiling's cracks and crevices with her eyes. "I love my job." She said finally. After a pause, she continued. "I just don't get to see _other ponies_ love it."

"Huh?" She raised an eyebrow, turning to stare at the ceiling. "I don't get it."

Another sigh. "Alright, look at it like this. How would you like it if, say, you wore my armor all the time like you like to do, but no one ever mentioned it. Whenever you looked in a mirror, it'd be invisible. Sure, ponies notice it and like it in other places, but those places are far, far away. The only person who really sees it is you, and, even then, you can't even watch it."

"That..." She swallowed, trying to imagine the image placed before her. "That would suck."

She chuckled. "Exactly. I love making scooters, but no one around here even mentions it. They don't care. Too them, it doesn't matter."

"Oh..." She curled closer to the older mare. "_I_ love your scooters." She swore.

Scootaloo cracked a smile. "Thanks, Sparkle. That means a lot." She yawned and stretched. "I'm gonna take nap. You wanna join me?"

Dawn nodded and curled closer, closing her eyes. Today was, in her opinion, quickly turning into a do-nothing day.

* * *

"Here you go, Miss Sweetie Belle."

Enveloping the bag of bits in magic, she tucked it away in her bag. "Thanks."

The owner smiled wide. "Having you preform is always a pleasure. Although... it does get me a lot of questions."

Sweetie sighed. "They're still bothering you?"

"Yeah. We're not used to new ponies, Miss Belle. Ponies around here tend to get curious, really fast, when we get them. And no one really knows anything about you and your friends."

"Just tell them I'm from Ponyville." Sweetie Belle dismissed with a shrug. "That's all they need to know."

Trotting to the door, a faint glow of magic opened and shut the door behind her with ease.

"If only that was enough, Miss Belle." He sighed as the door clicked. "If only it was."

* * *

"Thank you _so_ much for getting her so fast." The neighbor gushed as she led the earth pony towards the side of the house. "It's my absolute, most favorite of all my flower boxes. All my best flowers go in it."

"It was no trouble, ma'm. Ah live right down the street, remember?" Applebloom reminded her with a smile, tool bag clanging against her sides. "'Sides, its not often Ah get a job."

"Do you think you can fix it?" The older mare worried, standing just off to the side of the box as she set her tools down.

_'A hover-er. Just what Ah needed.'_ She smiled confidently. "Ah'm pretty sure I can fix a hole 'er two, Ma'm."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!"

She immediately set to work, the worried flower-mare hovering beside her just as she'd expected.

Slightly uncomfortable with the quiet, the mare attempted conversation. "So... my husband and I see your niece around town all the time with her friends."

"You do?"

She nodded. "All the time. My granddaughter and her get along _so_ well. They're practically sisters."

"Is that so?" Applebloom grunted, picturing the small green filly that visited the house every once in awhile. Spoiled rotten, early bloomer cutie-mark-wise, with nothing nice to say. She vaguely remembered chucking her out of the house a few months ago when she'd gotten the gall to call the youngest mare of the house a 'blank flank' in front of the ex-cutie-mark-crusaders. Not exactly a filly she liked having around. _'She'd do well fer a visit to the farm. Granny Smith'd teach her a thing 'er two.'_

"Oh yes. However, I've yet to meet her mother..."

She shrugged. "Sweetie's good at settin' things like this-" She waved a hoof at the decorative flowers accenting every window on the first floor. "On fire. She's like a walking match, sometimes. _And_ she's allergic."

"Sweetie? Is that her name? Rather odd name for a pegasus, don't you think?"

She paused, racking her brains. "Pega- Oh!" She chuckled. "That's Scootaloo. Sweetie's the unicorn."

"The unicorn?" She blinked. "But... Dawn Flyer's a pegasus."

Another shrug. "The daddy was a pegasus. Sweetie has a pegasus relation father back in her blood lines. The genes worked."

"Are... Are you sure it wasn't that Scootaloo who had the filly?" The older mare asked, slightly confused. Mixing of races in small towns like this were rare, and more than a little confusing. Just saying it was someone else of the same race usually made things much easier, and most ponies fell back on that to escape small-town gossip. Having a pony being so brutally honest about it was... surprising.

"Ah was there." Applebloom chuckled wistfully. "'Sides, Scoots likes mares."

"M-Mares?"

"Eeyup. She'd tell you the same thing herself. She's never exactly been the 'hide in the closest' type of mare."

The mare jumped back, as though struck. "I-I see..." She nervously paused. "Are you sure it's a good idea to leave her alone with the filly?"  
Applebloom straightened up, spine stiff. "And what do you mean by that?"

The flower-mare inched back a tad at the dangerous tone in the earth mare's voice. "Well, it's just-... you know..."

Her face darkened. "Scoots would cut her own hooves off before she'd _ever_ hurt Dawn. Or any filly, for that matter." She frowned, hastily putting her tools back into her bag and turning around. "You know what? Perhaps it would be better if you called in a professional repairpony for your flower box. I'm done here."

* * *

"Ah hate this town." Sweetie Belle glanced up from her papers, watching as Applebloom huffily came stomping into the house, repair bag swinging wildly, thumping against her hips. "Ah can't seem to get one single job around here without it going bad."

"Bad day, huh?" The unicorn raised an eyebrow.

"You could say that." She answered, sliding into her seat. "How about you?"

"Same thing, different day." She shrugged. "Would you mind getting Scoots and Dawn for dinner?"

"Sure thing."

It was just another tiring day in the Ex-Crusaders-and-filly household.

**No flames! Don't like don't read! Review!**

**Author's Note: And, no, it isn't always like that. Usually they mind their business and the towsponies mind theirs. Some ponies are just more nosy than others, it all. And rude. =)**


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